Laundry sorting apparatus



Aug- 8, 1950 J. G. MACKECHNIE, JR 2,518,036

LAUNDRY soRTING APPARATUS Filed April 2, 1948 2 Shee'ts-Shee'c 1 ATTORNEYS Aug- 8, 1950 J. G. MAcKEcHNIE, JR 2,518,036

LAUNDRY soR'rING APPARATUS Filed April 2, 1948 2 sheets-sheet 2 ummm ramms- "H25 INVENTOR Jnf 6. MAc/rL'cH/Y/ J.

Patented Aug. 8, 1950 ThisA invention relates to a selectivelycontrolled sorting apparatus and has for an object a new and improved construction of the appa? ratus disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 757,768, led June 28, 1947 now Patent No. 2,490,071, granted Dec. 6, 1949, for vlI iaundry Sorting Apparatus. 1., 1 Y i While the apparatus of my said prior'applicaf tion has many advantages in its suitability for the automatic sorting of a great varietyl of items, the tilting tray construction for depositing articles at pre-selected collecting stations was not found entirely satisfactory vfor all usages. In the handling of flnished laundered articles, for example, the collapsible nature Lof ironed and pressed cloth requires special care. In the. prior apparatus the articles are tipped from rthe tray and dropped at anangle.; In many instancesthe ironed cloth becomes wrinkled and bunched, thus spoiling the appearance -of iinishedlaundry which has been prepared for packaging andrdelivery to customers. v i i i ,-v

An object of the'new construction is,v `there-f` fore, to provide an improved apparatus for handling collapsible articles of cloth such as ironed y pieces of laundry and-to avoidany Wrinkling thereof. The new machine results in a simplified construction and a more efficient apparatus. all things considered.

The many-'advantages of the lpresent invention Lf ",ccainis". (cicli-'11,15

will be apparent from a consideration thereof in the following disclosure of a-machine embodying the invention and illustrated by the accompany: ing drawings in which, I i l 1 Fig. 1 is a side elevation lotra `section ofthe sorting apparatus embodying my invention;l i l Fig. 2 is a plan view of the section shown by Fig. 1; y

Fig. 3 is a side view of an article holder pivoted to article releasing position; V y I .4 Fig'. 4 is a Wiring diagram v4.ofthe electric circuit controlling means for actuating the deposit:- ing mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a partial plan viewfof a .modified/form of article holder for the machine; and4 Figs. 6 and 7 are side views showing the. .holder of Fig. 5 in article retaining and article releasing positions respectively. [j .Y n

In the drawings the conveyor means of the apr paratus, as shown by Figs. land 2, comprises va '.I

series of carriers I mountedinl anendless. track arrangement between a side 4table 2 andan inner shelf 3. Rollers 4 xed-to the facingedges of table 2 and shelf 3 vextendvunder adjacent "edges of carriers vI rand supportthe same 4.for 1 travelin successive order over a series of receiv-v ing stations as bins 5.

The travel of thev carriers is intermittent, providing yfor the step by step advance of carriers I,

, each being broughtvto rest directly over each of the binsS in successive order. Reference is made to my aforesaid application Afor a means to advance' the carriers.A Any suitable mechanism may be'used, the priorexample mentioned hav-- ing pusher-means adapted-for successively driving *eachv carrier in the line of travel, each particular carrier being driven, pushing the 'others ahead .of it. i '-v l'Article holding and depositing means, shown byFigs. 1,2 and 3, includea holder 6 in the formf' of a shallow basin or trough comprising two side ,portions 'I and 8 hinged along opposite outer` edges thereof on pintles 9- and I0. Each end vof-pintles-.9 and I0 is journaled yin a bracket I'I onposts I2, thevlatter being mounted on the carrrier I- :at the corners of an opening I3 of the carrier. ,The-postsI I2 are provided toy maintain the holder in closed position above the carrier sur-face so .as to avoid` interference with any cross.y supports between table 2 and shelf 3. Preferably the side portions forming the holder are lprovided. with end sections I4.

.i For the pivotal action of said side portions and fixed-to yone end of each of the pintles 9 and I0 isa crank-I5 lconnected at its handle end to --a throwiarm- I6 of a solenoid operated plunger I1. `will. befdescribedr-solenoids I8 mounted on each carrier are energizedv topivot the sides of the holder thereof for releasing an article at a pre-selected'bin. When energized plungers I1 are extended to crank the pintles and sides as shown by Fig. 3. The plungers. are normally held'spring pressed to closed position.

Selective control mechanism for operation of Ja holder to depositan article at a pre-selected bin-station includes a series of pre-settable push button yiswitch boxes-I9 shown as mounted on Ytable 2. lEach switchfbox I9 is associated with ya particular `bin 5 forsetting up appropriate electric circuits for the bin. A similar pre-settable push; button switch Ibox 20 is mounted on each of the carriersland is for setting up appropriate ,-circuits forfthe carrier. .The mechanism for leach of the switch boxes 20. j.y v-Positional switch means for connecting the @Qlrspollding circuits in a switch box I9 `with those in a box 29 comprise distributor contacts 2| mounted on the forward inner edge of a carrier and finger contacts 22 mounted at each bin station on the shelf 2. As shown by Figs. 1 and 2, the contacts 2| and 22 for a particular carrier and bin station will be joined by the arrivalfof a carrier over the bin. In one complete circuit of carrier travel carrier contacts 2| will be joined inn successive order to all the contacts. 22. of the The wiring diagram of Fig. 4 illustrates the partial circuits of the pre-settable switch box mechanisms and the joining thereof by the positional switch means. The circuits on each. carrier* areat the left as in Fig. 4, the bin circuits at the. right thereof. As shown, partial electric circuits arev preset by push button keys 23. Assuming'tenkeys, in each of the two rows, the top row may be assigned numbers from zero to nine and repre-v sent a unit value. The lower row may represent Zero tolnine oi'a decimal value. 'Ihuslcircuitsfrepresenting a numerical valuefrom doublezero.: to 99 may be set up by theA keys.

Appropriate keys representing the number 29 are shown as depressed' in Fig.. 4 in connection with each of' the switch boxes |92 and 2'95. The contacts12f|` andl 22 are joined as bythe arri-val of the carrier ata bi-'n station. Solenoid's |8` will thus be energized by the completion of! the circuit' to bel` described for actuating the crank arms and pivoting the sideporti'ons to'articlereieasing'posi'- 'tion as in Fig. 3.

The circuits required for energizing the solenoi'ds |8'- may beY traced -rst' from a source of l1Jower23 through line 24, the positional contacts, wire 25, decimal key 2 of' boX= 29, wire 26., the 'positional contacts, wire 21", decimal key 2 of 'box '|9, wire 28, a solenoid 2.9 controlling a switchy 3l) and line 3|. Similarly' the unit keys numbered 9 set up a similar circuit from line 24", wireJ 32, unit 9 of box 20', wire 33, unit 9 of boxv |9, wire 34, a solenoid'` 35' governing a switch 36', and WireI 3'| 'to yline 3|'.

It will' be noted that unless corresponding4 circuitsk are set up in each switch box either one' or bothl of the solenoids 29y and 35 will not be energized to close switches 39 and 35. Only-'when both solenoids 29' and 35' are energized', as4 would occur in Fig. 4 on closing aline switch 4|, is the circuitl energized to actua-te solenoids |-8`. This connection may be traced through line 24', the positional contacts, connector 3B", the solenoid's |"8, connector 39, the positional contacts, wire 49, switches 3|! and 36, andwirex 3T to liney 311.

Solenoid switches and 36 are illustrated to indicate an available means for setting up addi.- tional rows of numbered push button. keys to gain a greater selectivity of number combinations. By 'the addition ofanothersolenoid switch similar to 30 or 36 with a third row or keys governing a group of pre-settable push button circuits, it would be necessary to have three numerically corresponding circuits for the` three solenoid switchesv iin order to energize solenoids IB'-A for depositing anarticle.

In the operation. of the machine each bin circuity switch box is preset' to correspond to a particular number, as a number' which has been assigned to a particular customers laundry. As `each article of laundry is placed on a carrier, the carrier switch box 29l is. preset to correspond to the customers number; Thelcarri'er will advance step by step over each of' the bins in successive order without energizing the solenoi'ds |f8 until such time as the carrier arrives ata bin which 4 has been assigned the particular customers number. The article will be deposited in the bin. As the carrier moves past the bin contacts 22, solenoids I8 will be de-energized and the plungers spring pressed as in Fig. 4 will be withdrawn to return the side portions of the holder to normal article retaining position.

It will be noted the pivotal swing of the side portions 1 and, 8 as shown by Fig. 3 provide between the'. inner:` free edges;v thereof an opening space of the same dimension as the width of the bin. This dimension should be large enough flatwise to handle the largest size article which might be sortedirr.the` particular apparatus. It will be readily understood that the bin might be den signed with greater width and a correspondingly greater swinging arc be provided by the pivotal mechanism of the side portions.

Alsoy shown by Fig. 3 are venting passages 50 in the sides of bin 5. It is the object of the centrally opened article: depositing members toflap' back sothat acolilapsiblepiecefot laundry mayV fall Hatwisef inar straight vertical dropV into ay bin; If the cloth oi" an article is. light enough the mere droppingv of the same; into a bin may create air resi-'stance suicient. to cause disarrangement of the article in falling. With theventing arrange.- mentorthe bin, the chances ot' causingA an unevenA fall are lessened.

The preferred form of theholder as shownl by Figs; 1 andi 3f is seen to be shallow and; troughlike in cross section. Having sloping concavev sides ittends to. cause a cloth1 articleI to slide more or less evenly intothe bottom' of the holder. Furthermore, asv the sides are opened to article releasing position the edges of the articles tend to be guided to a position parallelwithI the sides of the bin. Thus; although an article mayl be placed@ by an operator angularly on thev holder with respect toy the sides thereof the releasing action of' the holder with concave side portions will tend to correct the positioningA as itl falls into a bin. The most desirable result obtainable in depositing articles-in the bin is to have the articles piledy automatically in, neat stacked form, a result which lessensA the manual work in arranging the articles for packaging.

A- modified form of article holder is shown by Figs. 5, 6 and '7 in which the side portions are horizontally disposed as side flaps 42 andi 43. In this form the solenoids- 44 are shown with a plunger'action opposite to that of plungers IT in order for thecrank armsy 45 to clear the' carrier |Y. The pivotal support for the side por-'tions is provided by lpins 46 journaled in brackets 41 on each corner of the carrier and brackets 419 at each corner ofA the flaps; It will be obvious this m-odication of the holder will not automatically assist in straightening the angular position of the article as it falls into the bin and will accordingly require care inV properlyY placing the article initially on the holder in order to obtain a neat pile of articles in a bin.

Havingl described myinventicn, I claim:

1. In an automaticl sorting apparatus having a series of traveling carriers7 each driven in an endless path to convey an article to a preselected receiving station and each including a framed opening for dropping an article therethrough at said station, tray mechanism oneach carrier for movement and releasel of articles to be sorted and comprising in combination two complementary tray side members movable to article holding and article releasing positions, said side members in holding' position extending over the opening of a carrier and having inner side edges in an adjacent facing edge to edge relation, the complementary outer side edges of said side members having pivotal connections to said carrier structure at opposite edges of the opening, releasing means on said carrier for said pivotal connections and normally holding said side members in article holding position, said side members in article releasing position hanging downwardly of the frame at said opposite edges of the opening.

2. In a laundry sorting machine having a series of traveling carriers, each driven in an endless path to convey articles to a preselected receiving station and each including a framed opening for passage of an article to be dropped at said station, tray mechanism on each carrier for movement and release of articles to be sorted and comprising in combination two complementary tray side members movable to article holding and article releasing positions, said side members in holding 0 position extending over said framed opening of the carrier and having inner edges in an adjacentfacing edge to edge relation, vertical bracket supports on the carrier at opposite edges of said opening, pivotal members on the supports above the surface ofthe carrier, each of said side members being mounted at its outer edge on said pivotal members and formed with an arcuate surface to provide with its complementary side member a shallow basin for support of an article thereon when in holding position, solenoid operated crank means xed to said pivotal members toactuate the latter and pivot said side members to article releasing position, said members in the latter position hanging downwardly through the carrier at opposite sides of said opening.

JAMES G. MACKECI-INIE, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

